Rifted Hearts (Riftworld Book 1) by M.A. Guglielmo

Author:M.A. Guglielmo [Guglielmo, M.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Merit Ptah Press
Published: 2024-03-19T00:00:00+00:00

15

Kaveh had no idea how Remi talked him into these things.

His clan had incorporated the base and the monstertown into their riftland without discussion or permission, Kaveh still hadn’t told the matriarch his Azadah powers had manifested, and the Colony mafia had sent ratkind fighters to Tucson to target Kaveh’s future spouse.

It was one hell of a time for him to go to a gay country-western bar with a half-ratkind vid streamer.

He pulled his pickup truck into one of the EV charging spots in the bar’s parking lot and glanced over at the ratkind streamer in question.

“It’s down to two contestants, Jeannette and Kat.” Remi had dressed to casually impress, wearing a crisp linen shirt over tight-fitting pants and yet another new pair of shoes. His wristwatch flashed with iridescence as the cyberbug inside rose up to investigate its new surroundings. “Let’s do this.”

The two of them got out of the truck and walked to the entrance, followed closely by Lyall, who had hopped into Kaveh’s truck without him noticing.

Kaveh had secretly hoped Remi’s double-date plans would fall through. Jeanette had been divorced for a few years now, and with her looks and sunny personality, she had many social options on a Thursday night. Kat, never much of a party person, had an upcoming exam he had been anxious about.

Yet both of them were waiting for Remi and Kaveh at the club entrance, bright smiles on their faces. That made the foursome complete—or fivesome, if you counted the terrier. He had no idea how they would get inside with a dog trailing behind them.

There was a long line to get into the country-western bar, a cover fee the place was charging, and a mysterious list of approved guests. Kaveh liked music, especially country, but the social complexities of this place were too daunting for him to wrap his head around.

None of that mattered. Remi breezed to the front of the line without a word of protest from the crowd, flashed a smile at the club’s bouncer, and within a few moments, all five of them—yes, including the Riftworld Scottish terrier—were in.

Remi ushered them through to the outdoor back patio, which had both a bar and a dance floor. Kaveh opted to buy everyone drinks and hold their seats at the bar as Kat, Remi, and Jeannette went off to join the dancing crowd.

The music was loud, the bar packed with bodies, and Kaveh felt out of his element.

He looked down at Lyall, who had found a spot under a bar stool. “Not much of a dancer myself. How about you?”

The dog gave him an incredulous look then settled down on his haunches to survey the room. Kaveh wondered if Lyall could understand him if he tried to communicate by sending mental images to him. Earth animals communicated with each other constantly of course, and many were capable of nonverbal interactions with humans. In the Riftworld, where there was a wide array of diverse species with similar intelligence levels, the human/animal dichotomy made little sense.

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